The EESC calls for financial education to become a compulsory subject on the school curriculum, and this education should be followed up in training and retraining programmes for workers. As a subject, financial education should encourage responsible saving and promote socially responsible financial products.
Download — EESC opinion: Financial education and responsible consumption of financial products
This public hearing will gather policymakers and civil society stakeholders to discuss on how public banks can better support EU industrial policy, innovation, the scale-up of EU businesses, and, ultimately, economic growth.
Public Debate | 8 April 2026 | 14:30-16:00 | Online Event Rising tensions and the renewed conflict in Iran adds new volatility to an already fragile global economic environment. Against a backdrop of geopolitical fragmentation, energy market uncertainty and slowing growth, understanding the macroeconomic implications of this conflict for Europe has become increasingly urgent. The Section for Economic and Monetary Union and Economic and Social Cohesion (ECO) of the EESC will organise a public debate to examine the broader macroeconomic consequences of the conflict in Iran for the European economy.
"Cohesion policy 2028–2034: A new fund, a new framework, a new role for civil society?" brings together EU institutions, social partners and civil society representatives to reflect on the future of cohesion policy in the next Multiannual Financial Framework. The hearing explores proposals for reforming cohesion funding and governance, assesses the implications of the new framework through the National and Regional Partnership Plans and examines how civil society organisations can play a stronger role in the design, implementation and monitoring of cohesion policy. The discussion aims to identify how cohesion policy can continue to deliver territorial, social and economic cohesion while responding to new challenges and transitions facing the European Union.
The legislative package proposed by the European Commission are likely to affect the availability of financial instruments for EU citizens, the returns of their savings and national policies on supplementary pensions. This event will gather institutions and civil society stakeholders.
To celebrate Bulgaria's accession to the euro zone, the ECO section organises a public debate to discuss Bulgaria's road to the euro, its prospects as part of the common currency area, and the outlook for the euro area in a world of geopolitical challenges, inflationary pressures and economic uncertainties.
